ADDRESSES 

Delivered  by 

Wayne  C.  Townley 

District  Qovernor  Illinois  Lions  Clubs 

1923-1924 
1924-1925 


Of  the  hundreds  of  brilliant  addresses  given  by  him 
during  his  term  of  office,  the  Russell' Hampton  Com- 
pany presents  these  three  classics  to  all  Lions  in  his 
District,  with  their  congratulations  for  the  many  suc- 
cesses achieved  under  his  leadership. 


LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 

HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


$  ADDRESSES 

Delivered  by 

WAYNE  C.  TOWNLEY 

District  Qcn-ernor  Illinois  Lions  Clubs 

1923-1924 

i 924- 1 925 


Thomas  and  Sarah  Bush  Lincoln 

(7/u-  following   wnu  given  at  the  service  of 

dedication    of   the    monument    erected   above   the 
gra:  •■'.as    and    Sarah    Bush    Lincoln— 

the  father  and  step-mother  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 
The  monument  was  erected  through  Mr. 
Townlex's  efforts  after  the  State  Legislature 
and  volunteer  organizations  l:ad  failed  to  pro- 
:  ide    a    SMttobli    marker. ) 

YY/E  arc  here   to  dedicate   this  monument  erected 
W    in  memory  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  Bush  Lincoln, 
:    the  father  and  step-mother  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Illinois  may  well  recall  its  contribution  to  that 
great  life. 

Here,  in  this  State,  were  developed  those  talents 
which  produced  that  great  debater— the  superior  of 
a  Stephen  A.  Douglas  : 

Here  was  developed  that  orator  whose  speeches 
are  classed  with  the  gems  of  the  ages  : 

Here  was  inspired  that  patriot— ready  to  hold  the 
horse  of  a  vain  McClellan,  willing  to  bear  the  ridi- 
cule of  a  mistaken  Greeley,  satisfied  to  ignore  the 
false  clamor  of  a  misguided  minority;  that  this 
nation,  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people, 
might  live  : 

Here  he  gave  his  "lost  speech"— which  pointed  to 
his  leadership  in  the  Republican  Party  and  paved 
his  way  to  the  Presidency: 

Here  was  developed  from  the  rough,  unlettered, 
unknown  backwoodsman— the  world's  greatest  citi- 
zen : 


Here  was  the  training  that  gave  to  us  the  patient, 
wise,  just,  martyred  leader  who  loved  his  country 
more  than  himself;  his  honor  more  than  his  station; 
his  ideals  more  than  his  office  : 

And  through  it  all  was  the  influence  of  the  father 
and  step-mother — intangible  but  powerful :  With 
his  struggles  came  the  knowledge  of  the  value  of  a 
good  heredity  through  the  one  and  the  help  of 
environment  through  the  other.     He  honored  both. 

We  have  come  to  this  little  country  churchyard 
to  pay  tribute  by  the  dedicatoin  of  this  granite,  to 
these  "whose  humble  but  worthy  home  gave  to  the 
world  Abraham  Lincoln. "  With  this  privilege  comes 
the  opportunity  of  saying  these  few  words  of  long 
delayed  appreciation. 

These    two    belonged    to    Abraham    Lincoln.      "He 

belongs  to  the  ages." 

JANESVILLE,  ILLINOIS, 

May    16,    1924 


Welcome  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic 

{This  was  delivered  at  a  banquet  in  the  gold 
room  of  the  Congress  Hotel  at  Chicago.  Vice- 
President  Dawes  declared,  when  he  spoke, 
that  it  was  "probably  the  most  notable  banquet 
ever   held    in    Chicago.") 

WE  are  here  tonight  in  honor  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. The  Nation  may  look  with  pride  upon 
Illinois'  part  in  the  great  conflict  of  which  his  was 
the  dominant  life.  Southern  Illinois  with  its  vigorous 
John  A.  Logan;  Northern  Illinois  with  its  silent 
U.  S.  Grant;  Central  Illinois  with  its  patient  Abraham 
Lincoln;  the  Democrat,  the  man  of  no  party,  the 
Republican,  united  to  save  the  Union. 

Lincoln  was  born  in  a  slave  country.  He  made  it 
a  free  one.  He  lived  in  a  weak  nation.  He  made  it 
a  strong  one.  He  found  disunion.  He  made  a  sov- 
ereignty. 

As  long  as  history  is  known  will  the  story  of  the 
boy  who  rose  from  the  cradle  so  obscure  to  the 
eminence  so  magnificent,  encourage  mankind.  As 
long  as  oratory  is  an  art,  will  the  Gettysburg  address 
be  remembered.  As  long  as  patriotism  is  a  virtue, 
will  his  conduct  with  Stanton  be  admired.  As  long 
as  truth,  rather  than  expediency  is  an  ideal,  will  the 
debates  with  Douglas  be  read.  He  will  be  quoted 
as  long  as  the  ages  endure. 

He  used  to  say  his  life  was, 
'The  short  and  simple  annals  of  the  poor." 


Rather  it  was  democracy  at  its  best. 

You  Grand  Army  men  knew  him  and  his  work. 
Our  recollection  of  your  individual  deeds  may  have 
been  somewhat  dimmed  by  the  years  but  our  grati- 
tude has  increased.  Your  sacrifices  have  made 
debtors  of  us  all.  Without  your  response  there- 
would  have  been  no  emancipation  proclamation,  no 
victory,  no  union.  Without  you  there  would  have 
been  no  Spanish-American  veterans,  no  Legion- 
naires ;  without  you  we  would  have  no  48  stars. 

The  Lions  welcome  you — the  old  guard. 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS, 

February    12,    1925. 


Introduction  of  Lt.  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles 

(At  the  time  this  was  given  in  Chicago,  Gen- 

.    Miles   I:  ad    not    been    a   visitor   in   the   city 

for    several    years    and    the    people    of    Illinois 

were  awakened  again   to   the  exploits  and  valor 

of  their  venerable  leader,  then  86  years  of  age.) 

IT   is    common    comment    that    wc    have    had   "hard 
times"   since    lc>2().      We    have   just   passed    a   "had 
winter."     Men   long  for  the   "good  old   days." 

We  have  as  a  distinguished  guest  of  honor  tonight, 
one  who  may  recall  "the  good  old  days."  We  Lions 
have  not  forgotten  "the  hard  times"  of  1861  when  a 
Massachusetts  youth  spent  all  his  money  raising  a 
company  to  fight  for  the  North;  nor  his  engagement 
at  Antietam  when  more  men  were  killed  than  on  any 
other  day  of  the  War;  nor  that  same  volunteer  who 
was  wounded  four  times  during  those  four  long 
years;  nor  the  Colonel  at  23  who  commanded  26.000 
men  in  the  field  at  25.  Caesar  had  his  Tenth  Legion 
hut  the  Union  had  its  Second  Corps. 

We  remember  his  campaigns  against  Two  Moons, 
Crazy  Horse,  Pretty  Bear,  Big  Crow;  we  recall  how 
I.e  slept  on  the  snow  without  fires  in  the  campaign 
against  Sitting  Bull;  how  he  escaped  death  dealing 
with  Lame  Deer;  how  he  rose  from  the  ranks  by  the 
sheer  force  of  his  own  ability. 

Wi<e  in  Counsel,  prudent  in  planning,  a  thunder- 
bolt in  execution,  this  hero  of  Chancellorsville ;  this 
Indian  fighter;  this  commanding  general  of  the 
Spanish-American    War;    this    American;    comes    to 


us  tonight  in  the  evening  of  his  life  to  pay  tribute 
to  Lincoln.  Rich  in  years  of  experience  and  in 
honor  he  comes  like  some  great  legendary  figure  to 
inspire  us  of  a  younger  generation  to  renewed  pa- 
triotism and  service. 

Trusted  by  Lincoln,  companion  of  Custer,  hero  to 
us  all — General  Nelson  A.  Miles,  we  welcome  you. 

CHICAGO,    ILLINOIS, 
February    19,    1925. 


Compliments  of 

LION  JOHN  M.  KUMLER 

President  Russell-Hampton  Company 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 


